The Shadow's Scream
by Jessiekat
Summary: A mysterious girl, hailing from a faraway land, comes to Angara, bringing with her the power to summon creatures. But when a lion/cobra demon escapes, she finds she can't control it - let alone force it back to whatever god-forsaken dimension it came from
1. Premonitions of the Past

            The Shadow's Scream

            By Jessiekat

            Disclaimers: Golden Sun is (c) Camelot.  Elara is (c) Jessiekat; Oni is (c) Firecomet257.

            A/N: Hey, everyone!  Here's a random angst'fic from the depths of my mind – I'd like to thank Fire-san for letting me borrow her lion-slash-cobra demon idea – she _gave_ it to me, you know, so she deserves some worshipping.  X3  Worship, I say!  Go read her fanfiction.  Anyway ... please refrain from flaming this, although I'd love it if you reviewed anyway.  ^-^

            :: Chapter One: Premonitions of the Past ::

            It had been begging, calling to him, calling him to dance.  To dance and to sing, to be free, free as the wind itself.

            This was, of course, an offer he couldn't refuse.

            Looking up at the windowpanes, Ivan sighed quietly, and began to climb out of bed.  As he pulled on his cloak, preparing for his nightly outing, the Wind Seer silently observed his friends.

            First, there was Isaac.  Ah, strong, brave Isaac – the perfect hero.  Everyone liked him.  He was the strong and silent type, an Earth Adept and skilled at nearly everything he did.  The first of the group that was able to befriend Ivan, he had, apparently, decided it was his duty to protect the "little guy."  Pfft.

            Then there was Garet, Isaac's best friend.  And Mia – she had joined the troop only recently, having left her hometown of Imil to accompany the trio on their journey.  Mia was a healer, and the calmest of the four by far.  Ivan chuckled softly, remembering – just the other day, Garet had attempted, yet again, to win Mia's heart.  However, she had smirked, laughed at his attempts, and passed him by, in obvious rejection.

            "Ah, well," Garet had said to Isaac, with a grin that was very transparent.  "You can't win them all."

            Those were the good days, indeed.  Ivan didn't quite know why he had felt so ... distant, lately.  The weather had been stormy, yes, but that usually made him feel good, made him feel alive.  Not today, though – it had been, if anything, miserable, despite the strong gusts that still tore across the plains.

            Something had been wrong.  He could sense it in the air.  There was no joy in his step, no happy tune upon his lips.  Sighing once more, Ivan tiptoed across the creaky floorboards to retrieve his Djinni.  The creature was snoozing in a pile of clothing, tossed carelessly upon a chair; she awoke when he touched her, cooing softly in his grasp, and allowed herself to be deposited carefully inside a pocket.

            That was the problem with being a Wind Seer, he realized as he made his way down the stairs, being careful to step over the fifth, as it tended to give loud squeaks of protest when trod upon.  While the wind was able to comfort you, it never provided a straight answer.  _Something is not right,_ it had said.  _Something will happen._  But it never said what, or when, or even how.  That was up to the Seer to guess, to attempt to predict those things.  Ivan snickered again, only this time it was without mirth.  He never made a good fortune-teller, especially not when it involved something important.

            Something important, like his friends' lives.

            No, it wouldn't be _them_, he assured himself silently.  No one would want to prey on Isaac – except, maybe, for Saturos and his companion.  They wouldn't be _here_, though, not in the sleepy little town of Kirai.  Kirai wasn't even on the map, for crying out loud, despite its quiet beauty – the village was built nearly on the very edge of a gigantic lake, which was bordered on one side by a majestic forest.  The trees stretched upwards, reaching hopefully to scrape against the midnight sky.

            The lake was where Ivan was headed; there, the wind would be strong, the water cool, his worries few.  A sudden thought struck the boy, causing him to halt in his tracks, his hand outstretched for the doorknob of the inn's entrance.  If _(that's a big 'if,' Ivan,_ his mind reminded him) it was pleasant enough here ... perhaps ... perhaps he would stay.

            _But Isaac and the others need me._

_            No they don't – what do they need _you_ for?  Of course, you have mastered Mind Read, but seldom does that come in handy.  Mia is the healer, Garet is the fighter, Isaac is the leader.  You are merely the little boy, the one that cannot fit anywhere._

_            They need me, though!_

_            They care only for you because they feel they have to, not because they want to.  Poor Ivan, they say.  Poor Ivan, the boy raised by a power-hungry merchant, the merchant that insisted on being called 'master' by his own _(_adopted,_ Ivan reminded himself)_ son._

_            Poor, poor Ivan._

            The Djinni inside his pocket gave a ruffled meep of impatience.  She disliked being crammed in the dark space, but it was safer – if there were hawks about, she would be protected there, instead of out in the open, perched upon his shoulder.  Granted, Djinn held powers beyond most peoples' wildest dreams – Arashi, however, was merely a youngster, not quite able to speak in complete, intelligent sentences yet.  The Wind-type held Ivan in great opinion – she nearly worshipped the very ground he walked on, and became quite upset whenever she was parted from him.

            "Ivan get _going,_" she hissed from his pocket.  "Arashi tired, wanna go sleep."  Laughing quietly at the Djinni's comments, Ivan attempted to pull open the inn's door, fighting against the pull of the wind.  It, however, did not seem keen on releasing its captive; the Seer yanked forcefully on the knob, and the door ricocheted open, nearly throwing Ivan to the floor.  A quick glance to the front desk caused the boy to breathe a quiet sigh of relief; the keeper had gone, perhaps to sleep, perhaps merely to get away from the quiet of the lobby.  Arashi cried out, a panicked sort of squeal; while it had no true translation, Ivan understood it well enough.  He drew the Djinni from his pocket, patted her fondly, whispering encouraging words, then allowed her to cling to the shoulder of his cloak.  And that she did; as her owner stepped out into the storm, Arashi's mood lightened considerably, and she gave another squeal – only this time, it was one of joy instead of fear.

             The wind affectionately ruffling his hair, Ivan set out toward the lake.  He didn't need a map; the village was so tiny that, if he peered through the hedges planted along the perimeter of a line of houses, he could see the great puddle from here.  Pulling his cloak the slightest bit closer, Ivan smiled, the truest grin he had given for the first time in days.  This ... this distant, detached feeling was so unlike him ... he had had these types of premonitions few times before.  Disaster usually followed, like some twisted dog.

            On most occasions, Ivan would have given in to the breeze's desires for the dance.  He would have twirled, arms outstretched, face turned toward the sky – he would have nearly flew along the ground, cloak billowing out behind him, Arashi shrieking joyfully in his ear.

            But tonight ... tonight was different.  There was an odd sort of ominous darkness hanging in the air, the kind that made the hairs on the back of his neck prickle.  Hands shoved deep into his pockets, Ivan trudged along the narrow path winding between groves of tiny houses, his cloak whipping excitedly about his shoulders.  He paid no heed to the wind's invitation, however; he wasn't feeling well at all.  Arashi, perhaps, noticed this anxiety – she gave a concerned peep, and then fell silent, wings trembling in the light breeze.

            The rest of the walk was taken in silence.  Tilting his head back to gaze up at the sky, Ivan's soft, shy smile returned; there was hope streaked in the infinite darkness.  The moon's light was bright and yet dim; it bathed the forest in its peculiar, pale hue.  The stars were invisible, for deep, lavender clouds had obscured them from view – the coming of a storm.  As Ivan lowered his violet gaze, he noticed that he had somehow meandered off of the path – giving a slight chirp of amused surprise, the Seer trotted back onto the wandering, dusty path, and was delighted to notice that his trek had finally come to an end.

            The trail tapered off into a fairly large area of sandy soil.  Above this, however, the dust was conquered by grass – and from that it spread to the very edges of the lake, and it ran joyfully beneath the trees that cried for the sky's caress.  The forest was dark tonight – not even Luna's touch could brighten the depths, and Ivan shuddered slightly, moving to the water's side.  Arashi awoke from her light slumber, and chirred curiously, sleepily – Ivan grinned and reached up to remove the wind Djinni from his shoulder.  She made no move of protest and instead yawned, her bright azure eyes closing for a moment as she reveled in her owner's attention.

            "Well, Ara-chan," Ivan said quietly, so softly his voice was as light as the air.  "It looks like we've arrived."

            "Air'ved," Arashi echoed sleepily, causing Ivan to chuckle.  As he took a seat, he placed the Djinni upon his knee, staring thoughtfully out over the water.  With one hand he stroked the creature, while his chin rested on the other.

            No thought whatsoever was given to the beast lurking within the forest's guise, nor to the fact that his staff was leaning against the wall back at the room, exactly where he had left it that evening.


	2. The Demon Released

            The Shadow's Scream

            By Jessiekat

            :: Chapter Two: The Demon Released ::

            Disclaimers: Golden Sun is (c) Camelot.  Elara and Oni are (c) Jessiekat.

            Around the same time that Ivan began to daydream, overly large pawpads thudded silently against the dew-dampened earth.  A forked tongue slithered out between ebon lips, the demon licking his chops excitedly as a scarlet gaze focused on the back of the boy.  Here was prey – easy prey, at that.  Usually, Oni thought, humans wandered in packs.  Packs of them were harder to bring down, though not impossible – the lion had killed many men in his short lifespan, and he felt no remorse.  None at all.  Humans were merely prey beasts; they possessed no feelings, no intelligence.

            It didn't matter to him, after all, where his next meal came from ... as long as he could hear it scream.

            Crouching down beside the forest's edge, Oni's bladed tail flicked back and forth agitatedly, his hood flaring and hackles rising, captured by excitement.  Here began the chase, here began the kill.  _This will be easy ... the human isn't even armed._  For a brief moment, the demon had a fantasy; the feeling of fangs sinking into flesh, the pained scream of his prey; the familiar snap of a neck or spine, the scream ending abruptly, unnaturally.  Oni quivered with enthusiasm.  _Soon, soon will be the time to strike._

            As Ivan fell silent, Arashi leaned contentedly against his palm, dozing lightly.  The silence was thick, yet comforting; the crickets chirped quietly, while the water danced and played against the shore.  Luna shone down upon the pair, bathing them both with her pale, calm light – Ivan occasionally turned his gaze from her reflection to the stars, only to return it to the lake once more.

            While his eyes were distant, hers were not.  Arashi bolted upright with a soft squeak of surprise; she had heard something.  No, _felt_ it.  The faintest stirring of ... evil, its form large and dark, obscured by the trees.  The Djinni began to feel frightened; her wings trembled fearfully, though there was no wind, and she began to chirp incessantly, bumping her owner's hand with her head.

            When he did not awaken, Arashi gave up.  She wanted to protect Ivan, yet – the force, whatever it was, was driving her away, telling her to leave.  Leave, it had said, or be killed with the boy.  "Ivan!" the Djinni hissed, glancing about as if expecting the evil to be right beside them, or perhaps behind.  "Ivan!  Something's _watchin'_."  With no further explanation, Arashi leapt from his grasp – she landed badly, stumbling somewhat as she collided with the ground, and then took off along the river's edge.

            Ivan tilted his head slightly to the side, watching her leave – his mouth was partly open, for he had thought of calling to her.  His hand was outstretched; he had tried to catch her when she fell, but was unable to comfort the terrified creature for some reason unbeknownst to him.  "Ara-chan," the Wind Seer murmured quietly to himself, blinking slowly.  There was something wrong; now, even _he_ could sense it.  Arashi had; he trusted the Djinni, despite her age.  If she was frightened, that gave him reason to be, also.

            Quietly, the Seer rose from his spot on the ground, turning around to face whatever horror lurking within the shadows.  His watchful gaze, however, was rewarded with nil; not a leaf stirred, and the sounds from the lake seemed to be drowned out by an overwhelming silence.  Ivan flinched.  Removing his eyes from the forest for a minute, he glanced to the ground, searching for his staff – he'd never went anywhere without it, after all – but realized, with a short cough, that he had left it at the room.  Cursing himself, the boy removed his hunter's sword from its sheath – he didn't want to have to use it, but ... if worse came to worse, then, so be it.

            A light wind began to stir around the glade, causing the lake's waves to ripple faster, a bit harder.  The breeze ruffled Ivan's hair, but he paid no attention to it; instead, he felt comforted by its presence.

            Meanwhile, tramping through the undergrowth came a girl of only sixteen or seventeen; her hair was fairly long, tied in a casual ponytail, while her eyes were of a deep emerald hue.  A backpack was slung over one shoulder, filled to the brim with an odd assortment of items.  Generally, Elara did not appear to be happy.

            Cursing beneath her breath, the apprentice continued on her miserable little trek, raising her eyes every now and then to check her course.  She had detected the presence of the demon long before; she was tracking him now, as his aura was acting as a magical radar.  It was his fault, of course.  All his fault for dragging her out into the forest in the depths of night – for a crying lark, the sun hadn't even risen!

            "Curse you, Oni," Elara murmured quietly.  Abruptly, she came to a halt, eyes wide.  She had heard the unmistakable roar of the demon on the hunt – followed closely by the surprised shout of ... of a boy.  Without further thought, Elara took off, pushing aside foliage, barely hearing the audible crunch-crunch noises as her boots demolished the dead grasses.

            Smirking at the boy's pathetic attempts to defend himself, Oni crouched, tail whipping fiercely from side to side.  The lion's hood flared; the demon crept forward a few paces, not quite poking out of the underbrush yet.  Then the boy turned his gaze away from the forest for just a second – Oni decided that this would prove to be the best time to strike.  When your prey becomes distracted.  The lion leapt from the protective cover of the forest; spreading large, dark wings that blotted out the moon's rays, Oni had to take only two mammoth steps to catch up to his victim.

            He forced the boy to the ground, and dust flew up around his ankles as he skidded on the slick terrain; one giant paw was placed between the Seer's shoulder blades, pinning the human down, while the wind grew and became fierce – the leaves trembled at its might, shaking and quivering with fear.  Oni was not even disturbed, even while his fur ruffled and shook, preparing for the coming storm.

            Parting his jaws, the lion lowered his head, the corners of his maw turned upward in a grin.  True, he had sensed Elara's presence, much like she had his – but now, she wouldn't arrive in time to prevent the boy's death.  That was fact.  The snakelike tongue whipped out again, running along each pointed canine, and Oni exhaled upon the neck of the Seer ... for fear was the greatest part of the hunt.

            Not two miles away, Mia awoke from what had been a deep sleep.  A fear, its origin unknown, momentarily overloaded her senses – feeling panicked, she glanced anxiously around, trying to see through the impenetrable darkness that had crept over the room.  When a deep, shooting pain, like that of being stabbed, pounced upon her mind, Mia began to scream.


End file.
